Friday, 27 April 2018

As part of the scabbard project Jan donated two elastic hair bands from the pack she purchased in Poundland. They have been used to secure the saw inside the scabbard.

One project completed!

It took me half a day to make the majority of the washing machine stand from offcuts. The top is a panel from the old computer desk and the sides are the left over scraps from the new desk.

I do tend to over-engineer things but the washing machine is heavy and tends to vibrate around, so I decided it would be better to be safe rather than sorry.

Once the panels were cut I glued on the edging tape. Well actually it’s pre-glued and only needs heat for the tape to adhere to the edge of the panel. I used Jan’s steam iron from the laundry (don’t tell her……. but then after 7 years of not ironing she has probably lost the art!)

My technique is to use a razor knife to remove the surplus tape and then give the edge a light sanding to smooth it.

It’s easier to install the drawer runners at this stage. They are the ‘soft self-closing’ type.

With the cabinet sitting on its front I added additional bracing blocks in the corners

This is how it will look when completed. The lip around the top will (hopefully) prevent the washing machine from going AWOL. I’ve ordered four adjustable feet for the base on the assumption that the laundry room tile floor will be uneven. It will also raise the particleboard away from any dampness.

It won’t require a handle. All I now need to do is make the drawer from the plywood offcuts.

Carol of nb Still Rockin’ has realised what’s going on with us! We’ve stopped looking at land and houses currently for sale, deciding instead to purchase my brother and sister’s share of my parents house. It’s old (1984) but is close to important facilities (doctor, dentist, vet [for me] supermarket and public transport). At 600 square metres the land is slightly smaller than we wanted however Jan thinks she will be able to fit in all her new fruit trees and swimming pool. One of the first projects will be the replacement of the original kitchen. Eventually we’ll extend the house converting it from a 3 bedroom + 1 bathroom to a 4 bedroom + 2 bathroom (another project). There’s going to be plenty to keep me occupied!

3 comments
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I will show my DH your washing machine stand with drawer, as that is exactly what I want when we move into our house eventually, we all get too old to get down on our knees and pray to the washing machine. Also when we get into the house, one of his projects is to add an ensuite and WIR, making it 3bdrm, 2 bath, just to keep him busy, you understand, and out of my hair, so I can do crafty things. Actually this sounds like you two. From next year we'll be in our house, which is in Tasmania, so if you ever come down this way, we'll have to meet up, and we have plenty of room for a camper trailer.

This blog is about us, Tom and Jan.
After a decade of travelling from 'down-under' every two years to spend a brief few weeks having a wonderful canal holiday we decided to eliminate the travel and do it full time on retirement. In 2011 we moved to the UK and built Waiouru before spending 6 wonderful years cruising.
In 2017 we sold our lovely boat and moved back to Perth, West Australia where other adventures are on the 'bucket list'.